Washington State County Transportation Metrics

About the Program

Category: Transportation (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

In 2011, the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC), in partnership with the Washington State Association of County Engineers (WSACE), undertook creation of the Transportation Metrics dashboard (www.wsacmetrics.org) in an effort to tell the county transportation story in one voice: a difficult task since there is not a single strategic transportation plan for all 39 counties in the state (responsible for over 39,000 road miles and over 3,000 bridges). The WSAC Board of Directors has ultimate responsibility and provides the authorizing environment for the project. The Washington State County Road Administration Board (CRAB) is another key partner. The Metrics dashboard includes data in six strategic areas: preservation, safety, mobility, stewardship, environment, and economic vitality coinciding with transportation goals in MAP-21 and state legislation. The dashboard allows users to view data in these categories statewide and county-by-county. The data is now readily available to elected and appointed officials, agencies, and the general public creating an objective baseline upon which investments in the county transportation system can be measured. The goal for future phases is to continue adding data sets to bring depth to strategic metric goals, to reflect key areas of concern for counties, and also to forecast investment needs.